Don't let go
by MeredithSwift
Summary: Glee au story set during/ after the Michael episode. Love triangle between Mercedes, Sam & Quinn. I don't want to say anymore in case it spoils anything.
1. Chapter 1

**So this is my first real fan fiction, the Hunger Games one I wrote was a oneshot that I'm kind of lost about where to go with, so I'm writing this because there's a massive hole in my fabrevans heart. I hope it's okay, and please leave any suggestions but be nice! This is my first story :3**_  
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**Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters or Glee etc.**

* * *

_I never can say goodbye to you _

Quinn risked a glance at Sam as the word 'you' left the tip of her tongue, her eyes flickering upwards at his handsome face, but darting away again just as quickly when his eyes locked on hers.

_Ahhhh _

_Yeah yeah yeah _

_Yeah yeah yeah_

She kept her eyes closed for the final few lines of her song, smiling as she finished her first solo in a long time. Quinn Fabray was back, and she wouldn't let anyone get in her way again, especially not the boys whom she used to love- well, most of them, however hard Quinn tried, she couldn't get the dorky blonde boy out of her mind.

Quinn pushed the thoughts out of her mind, turning her eyes to the ground as she finished the final note, but looking up again when the applause began, because, as much as she had changed, she was still that same blonde girl who loved the spotlight.

"Wow, Quinn that was incredible" exclaimed Finn, she glanced up at him, shooting him a warm smile. Finn was sitting next to Rachel, but there was no resentment in Quinn's eyes at the pair, not anymore. She was truly over the brunette quarter-back. He was in her past.

"Even more incredible is her big news" smiled Mr. Schue, moving next to Quinn. She felt her cheeks flaring pink and smiled shyly, reverting her eyes to the ground. "Tell them" he gestured encouragingly.

"I got into Yale!" she announced happily, squeezing her eyes shut and smiling widely before looking up at all of her friends who all had expressions of joy on their faces. They were happy for her, that's what glee club was for. But there was one face she couldn't bare to look at, Sam's. Although she wanted him to be happy for her, she also wanted him to be sad, because she was leaving him. Quinn knew it was selfish, and she didn't deserve his love ever since she made the mistake of kissing Finn, but she couldn't help but yearn after the blonde. He was the best thing that had happened to her since Beth. He was the person who had put her back together again.

"It's just, it's amazing! After everything you've been through, you deserve this Quinn." Mr Schue spoke softly.

"We're really proud of you, Quinn" Mercedes's voice rang out. A pang of pain washed over Quinn, like a small stab in the heart. _Jealousy. _Mercedes had not one, but two boys after her- including the perfect boy, why couldn't Quinn be loved?

She took a deep breath, pushing the thoughts out of her mind and preparing herself, _you're ready to move on, Quinn, you don't need this, you don't need anyone holding you back _she thought "I wanted to thank you guys, because without each and every one of you this would have never happened. You supported me, and loved me through all the drama, and that's why I'm standing here. I wasted so much time hating myself for the stupid mistakes that I made, but, the truth is that, without them, I would never have dreamed this to be my future. I was the only one standing in the way of myself. You can't change your past, but you can let go and start your future" Her words were soft, but everyone in the room was mesmerized by her voice. Even more so than when she was singing. Quinn smiled when she was done, her eyes bleary with tears that threatened to spill over her porcelain skin. The speech was just as much encouragement for her as it was the rest of the new directions. She needed to let go.

She opened her arms and warmly accepted the congratulatory hugs from the rest of her peers.

* * *

"Hey Quinn, wait up" a voice called from behind her.

Quinn stopped walking through the hallway and turned just as Mercedes was catching up to her. "Hi 'Cedes" she smiled, her pearly white teeth gleaming.

"I just wanted to say I really am proud of you. After everything, with Beth and all.. you deserve this."

"Thank you" she smiled. Quinn really did owe a lot to Mercedes, because Mercedes took her in when nobody else would have her, and they made each other feel special again. Which was what made Quinn feel even worse. Guilt tore at her insides, guilt for hating Mercedes because she was the object of Sam's eye. "Is that all?" she asked hastily, "I'm late" Quinn spoke quickly, her eyes darting down the hallway searching for an escape, but truly, she had nowhere to go, as she had a free period now.

"Actually Quinn, I was wondering if I could get some advice" Mercedes replied sheepishly, her dark skin was flushed with a rosy red colour. "It's about Sam" she added, in a barely audible whisper.

Quinn pushed her lips together in a tight line, the last thing she wanted to do was give Mercedes advice about the boy she loved. But she felt that she owed it to the girl. "Uh, sure" she smiled wanly. "What's up?"

She listened tentatively as the girl spilled her worries. Every mention of Sam made Quinn's heart leap, but she couldn't say anything, it wasn't fair and she didn't deserve him. "I.. er" Quinn started, she wanted to scream at Mercedes to choose Shane, but the only reasons she could think of were selfish and for her own gain. "Maybe write a list.. like in friends? When Ross writes a list about Rachel and Julie?" she suggested weakly.

"Maybe" Mercedes replied, shrugging slightly. It was clear that Mercedes didn't think much of the idea, but Quinn was lost. She wanted to help her friend, but also wanted to help herself. She had loved Sam- perhaps still did love him; he was the one boy who had accepted her with all her flaws. Despite the silvery lines on her stomach that marked her as used, that made her disgusting. He had loved her, not despite of her flaws, but because of them. Mercedes had two wonderful guys who loved her through it all, and Quinn had nobody, even her father had left her.

She was brought back to consciousness by the sound of Mercedes, mid sentence, "But perhaps you're right, maybe I do just need to let go of them both, it isn't fair, and we're graduating soon.." she trailed off, the expression on her face showed how clearly reluctant she was to let either boy go.

Quinn sighed, taking Mercedes' hand "I only said that because my past was dragging me back, I have no one right now and I'm happy" her soft voice cracked over the word happy and she had to clear her throat. "I'm happy" she said with more force "But you, you have two wonderful guys right now. I know Sam, he's amazing, caring, sweet, gentle and kind. He's the perfect guy to make you feel special. But you know Shane too, he seems lovely, Mercedes, you're just going to have to find which one you can't survive without" her words were brutally honest, though the pain was only clear to her because Mercedes had no idea that Quinn still had feelings for a certain blonde boy, no one did, because she liked to keep her emotions bottled up, that's how you keep the power. But what happens when Quinn is tired of having the power? What happens when she just wants someone to cradle her and take care of her?

"Thanks Quinn, you're right.. I might give Sam another change, he is funny, and so sweet, now I've got to see how I can tell Shane" she replied, though it seemed as though she was speaking more to herself than the blonde girl now. "I'll see ya later Q" she beamed, and walked off down the hallway.

As soon as she was sure that she was alone, Quinn's face contorted into an expression of pure pain and melancholy. She knew that she had to let go, she wanted to, but as hard as she tried, she would never get the blonde boy out of her mind. All she wanted was to be loved, even Berry had someone to love her. Wasn't she supposed to be popular? Didn't she deserve to be happy. She fell back into the lockers, and slid down them onto the ground, hugging her legs and pressing her face into her knees. Her blonde hair, now shoulder-length fell out of her headband against her face. It reminded her of the miniature break down she had had in New York, when Santana and Brittany had convinced her that a haircut could solve all her troubles. How wrong they were.

She didn't know how long she sat there for, but once she had cried herself dry, Quinn couldn't find the strength to stand up or fix her make up, she didn't even move when she heard footsteps along the corridor, gradually increasing in noise. But as soon as the owner of the feet reached her, she regretted her decision.

"Quinn?" came a quizzical voice. "Are you okay?" The figure bent down next to her in a crouch, and coaxed her out of her hiding place the way only he knew how. He reached for her face with his strong hands, his rough skin warm against her velvety chin, and forced her to look up at him.

"Hey Sam" she choked weakly.

* * *

**A/N: I hope this was okay.. I would love to write more and develop, but any comments, constructive criticism? Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you so much for reading and reviewing guys!**

** GleeSamQuinnForever: I think I'm going to try to keep the characters as canon as possible so no one's going to be mean! But we'll see where it goes.**

**So, I've decided to do something a little strange. This chapter is in Mercedes' POV. I'm thinking of doing it as Quinn/ Mercedes and not Sam so that it leaves a little air of mystery. What do you guys think?**

**Just saying, it was incredibly painful to write the samcedes so I kind of rushed it :3**

******Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters or Glee etc.**

* * *

Mercedes' footsteps echoed down the empty halls of Mckinley High. Of course they were empty, she was going to the bathroom in the middle of period 4, so when she came across the blonde pair leaning against the lockers, Mercedes gave a sharp gasp and drew backwards.

A wave of emotions washed over her, happiness, sadness, compassion, worry, but the overwhelming feeling was that of jealousy. She could taste it in her mouth, sharp and vile. She quickly ducked round the corner, glancing at Sam and Quinn to make sure they didn't see her but they seemed too caught up in each other to notice anything else.

Without meaning to, Mercedes was prying. She was too far away to catch their words but their body language said it all. Sam was crouching down next to Quinn, balancing on his muscular legs with one hand on her knee and the other wrapped tightly around her waist whilst she was leaning into him, her head fitting perfectly into the crook of his neck. Silent, glistening tears were streaming down Quinn's face, but she still looked pretty. Somehow that girl always looks pretty, Mercedes thought with a sad smile. She may be sassy and comfortable with herself, but she still worried about her appearance.

She stood, watching the two for a long time. A strange sort of nostalgia came over her as she remembered last year when the two were dating. They really brought out the best in each other, Quinn made Sam welcome in a new school and Sam brought Quinn back, restored her confidence after everything that had happened the previous year. Mercedes had been happy for them, if not a little jealous. But now she had the chance to be with Sam, or Shane and she had to decide soon, before she ended up losing both of them as Quinn did.

Mercedes sighed sadly, drawing away from the couple, giving them their privacy. Jealousy hung over her like smoke in a closed room, never diffusing and only choking her more with every breath. She wanted Sam, they definitely had unfinished business after their summer fling came to an abrupt end, but she also had Shane, who was sweet and kind and pushed her to be the best she could be. She closed her eyes as she padded across the silent hallway, she needed time to think, definitely.

* * *

A pleasantly cool breeze caressed Mercedes' cheeks as she sat in between Quinn and Shane for lunch, Sam directly opposite. Over the three years together, the New Directions had finally become a team, forming tight friendships after a rather cliquey start. They now all sat together at lunch, and hung out with each other outside of Glee practise. And Shane, being the kind boyfriend that he was, often came and joined Mercedes at lunch. It hadn't been awkward until Sam returned, and Mercedes could feel his gaze burning into her skin whilst she chatted with Shane.

But today, Mercedes could see Sam's eyes sliding off her face every so often, to her right, where Quinn sat silently eating her salad. Mercedes frowned, she knew that she shouldn't be jealous; that she was sitting next to Shane, she was holding his hand for goodness sake! So why couldn't she shake the blonde haired boy out of her mind?

"Baby are you okay?" Came a voice to her left. Shane's question pulled Mercedes out of her thoughts and back to reality. Instantly, she felt guilty for thinking about Sam and her cheeks flushed a rosy red.

"Yeah I'm fine thank you" she replied stiffly. Mercedes took a deep breath, she knew that she was acting strange and tried to clear her mind. "Sorry, just.. distracted. So what were we talking about?"

"We're gonna have a little celebration party for our girl Q over here" Satana butted in with her usual confident verve. "My house, Saturday night, you're all invited"

"Thanks Santana" Quinn smiled, but Mercedes noticed that her happiness didn't quite reach her eyes, there was definitely something else going on.

"What do you think baby?" Shane asked, squeezing her hand gently. "Will you go with me?" Mercedes could feel Sam's eyes burning into her skin, waiting for her answer. In fact, the whole table seemed to have quieted expectantly.

Pressure drowning her, Mercedes choked out "Of course, Shane" and she accepted his kiss, his lips pressing quickly against hers.

For the rest of their lunch break, Mercedes kept her eyes glued to her plate, eating slowly to avoid becoming involved in conversation. She refused to look up in case she looked into Sam's sad hues. She knew she wouldn't be able to take the guilt. It wasn't fair on either of them.

* * *

After Math class, Mercedes hung back, waiting for Quinn to pack her bag. The blonde girl seemed to be taking extra time to carefully place each of her books inside her tote. As Quinn was walking out of the door, Mercedes sidled up next to her so that they were walking step by step together.

"Quinn, are you okay?" she asked, her brown eyes filled with worry for her friend. They hadn't spoken much recently, but Mercedes had been the one who was there for Quinn when she needed her most; and she felt as though they had a bond that didn't require them to talk all the time. She would always be there for her friend, no matter what.

The blonde girl paused, seeming to almost think through her reply but only responded with three short words. "Yes.. thank you"

"Are you sure? I didn't mean to pry but I saw you in the hall the other day, with Sam. And you were so quiet at lunch"

"I'm fine, really"

Before Mercedes had time to inquire further, there was a sharp beeping sound. She pulled her phone from her jeans pocket and swiped the screen. It was a message from Sam.

'_AUDITORIUM. NOW.'_

She rolled her eyes, turning towards her friend again "Ugh, Quinn. It's Sam, he wants to meet m-"

"Go" Quinn cut in, her long lashes pointed towards the ground, her eyes downcast.

"Okay, but we need to have a chat later, okay?" Mercedes pulled her friend into a hug. She could see that they weren't going to achieve anything now and hoped that she would be able to break through her friend's walls later, in a more private place.

* * *

The auditorium was dark bar a screen behind the stage, which depicted the letters 'M.J' in lights behind a certain blonde boy.

Mercedes walked in slowly, taking in her surroundings. The only person in the large room was Sam, who was standing expectantly with his guitar. His entire face lit up as bright as the sign behind him when he caught sight of her which made a pang of guilt wash over Mercedes.

"You know why I like this week's assignment so much? Hands down without a doubt one of my favourite singers of all time is Michael Jackson-"

"Listen" Mercedes replied with a smile "If I have to hawk my weave on ebay. I'm going to see the immortal tour when it comes to Ohio." She nodded at him, this could almost be a conversation between two platonic friends and Mercedes crossed her fingers behind her back, hoping that it might stay this way, although a tiny part of her wanted it to be more.

"Speaking of immortal" Sam clicked a button and the flickering lights switched from 'M.J' to 'MERCEDES'. Mercedes could feel her heart melt at the gesture. It was the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for her. Quinn was right, Sam was adorable, and kind, perfect really.. so what was holding her back? "Since we're going to be seeing your name up in lights for the rest of our live I thought we might as well start today"

"Sam Evans, you are crazy" Mercedes was awestruck, she didn't even reel away when he spoke next. "Crazy about you", instead, she walked down the steps, even closer to the stage. Completely drawn in by his beautiful gesture.

"You know, we've never sang a duet together. I thought we could do Human Nature. Would you sing with me? After that, you can go back to Shane, I won't stop you."

All sense rushed back to Mercedes and she began to walk away. She had a boyfriend! What was she doing alone in a dark auditorium with this handsome blonde boy? "Sam, I can't. Let's– let's talk later" her voice was quivering and she began to walk away.

The sound of his immaculate guitar playing drew her in. Mercedes loved music, and she loved to sing.. there was nothing wrong with them singing a duet together, was there? She sang duets with her friends are the time, it didn't mean anything. So when the first verse came along, Mercedes opened her mouth and set her voice free.

_Looking out across the night-time.._

She began, as they sung, Mercedes was drawn up on to the stage next to him. Their voices complemented each other but Mercedes couldn't help but feel that she was holding back, that her voice could be so much more powerful and she was trying to be too sweet, the way Quinn was when they sang lucky. She felt as though she wasn't reaching her true potential..

As the song went on, Mercedes lost herself in music and emotion, closing her eyes and enjoying the song. She could see Sam smiling at her and returned his gaze, feeling the corners of her lips tugging upwards.

_Tell them that it's human nature_

_Why?_

Without thinking, Mercedes leaned in and pressed her lips softly against Sam's.

Her eyes widened in shock when she realized what she had done. "I- er.. sorry" she squeaked and rushed out of the auditorium, pressing her face into her hands. She bit her lip as the instant guilt consumed her and walked even faster out of the room.

* * *

**A/N: I hope this was okay.. I would love to write more and develop, but any comments, constructive criticism? Thanks for reading!**

**What do we think? Do we like Mercedes POV or shall I keep it to just Quinn? Always open to suggestions!**


	3. Chapter 3

******So, I had a lot of inspiration last night and had to write it all down before I forgot so I wrote this chapter pretty much straight away and i'm pretty sure i know what I wan't to do with the next one. I just don't know which POV to use (I do have a plan/ reason for using Mercedes' but that's not for a little while I think).**

******Thank you so much for reading and reviewing, you guys are lovely!**

******Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters or Glee etc.**

* * *

A beautiful blonde girl with creamy skin and green eyes was staring at Quinn through a shiny, reflective surface. Every move the Quinn made, this girl also made, running her hands through her styled blonde hair at the exact same time.

The girl was wearing a powder blue skater dress with a high neckline, which fell five inches above her knee. The dress complemented her perfectly, it's lacy patterns highlighting her face perfectly and the light colour bringing out golden flecks in her eyes. Paired with her heeled brown scandals, they made her desirable and sexy whilst wholesome and dainty at the same time. She was wearing minimal make up- the lightest foundation with only a hint of eye-liner and mascara. The only thing different and bold about her outfit was her bright red lipstick.

Quinn knew that the girl in the mirror was herself, but somehow felt detached from her. The girl in the mirror was a ghost, her emotions not quite reaching her eyes, broken under the cleverly applied makeup which gave her the illusion of wearing none at all.

She turned to her friends, nervously checking herself over "Do I look okay?" she asked. Despite the hard front she put on, Quinn was anything but confident, desperately seeking approval from anyone and everyone she met. She eyes Brittany who was wearing a pair of dark blue denim shorts with a bright yellow bandeau and Santana who was wearing a figure hugging black dress. They both looked striking.

"Of course you do!" Brittany smiled kindly, making her way over to Quinn and enveloping her into a hug with her slender arms. Quinn couldn't help tasting the green spikes of jealousy in her mouth at Brittany's figure. She didn't need high heels or short skirts to be skinny, to be beautiful. Quinn sighed softly, closing her eyes. She couldn't bare to look at her friend for too long without feeling awful about herself.

"You look hot Q" Satana drawled in her smoking induced rasp. She grabbed her camera, rushing over to the blonde pair "Smile!" she ordered, squeezing in beside them and holding the lens out in front of her, positioning her finger over the little shutter.

Before Quinn ha time to react, Santana had already pushed the button and was looking over the photo "Perfect" she smiled. It was their tradition to get ready together before parties, to take a photo before each one. Quinn in the middle, Santana to her right, Brittany to her left "The Unholy Trinity" Brittany murmured, "I'm going to miss you guys"

"Oh no you don't!" Santana half shouted "We won't be talking about this, no, no me gusta. It's Quinn's night! We're so proud of you Q, after everything, you came through more confident and happy than ever!" she exclaimed, pulling Quinn back into another hug.

"Yeah" Quinn replied absentmindedly. When honestly, she was anything but. Her big eyes drooped, heavy with fatigue. She didn't feel like partying, in fact, all she wanted to do was curl up with a hot chocolate and watch a movie. But Santana and Brittany had put in so much work for her, for this party, she had to at least try to have fun. The words _I was just stuck on everything I didn't have, and not the stuff that was good, stuff for the future _echoed around in her mind. The very words she had said to Sam not three weeks before. This feeling, the feeling of self-hatred and depression wasn't going to last. It was the place, Lima, and she finally had her ticket out of there. Once she got to New York, everything would be perfect, she just had to let go.

"Come on!" Santana grabbed Quinn's hand and pulled her down the stairs "It's almost eight and we've got to check that everything's set up! Can't have another mess like Berry's party. I've got a reputation to keep up, you know" she winked, pulling a clear coloured bottle containing a transparent liquid and three shot glasses out of her cabinet.

"Let's start the fun a little early shall we?" she grinned, her eyes twinkling devilishly as she poured out the liquid.

* * *

Two hours into the party, and Quinn seemed to have already retreated into the corner, becoming a watcher. She was sitting on the stairs to Santana's basement, bottle of vodka in one hand whilst she supported the her face with the other, elbow on her knee, quietly observing the scene. Everyone seemed to have coupled up, well of course, most of them were couples anyways, except for her.

Mercedes and Shane were snuggled up together on the sofa, holding hands but didn't seem to be talking or interacting much. In fact, Mercedes' eyes kept glancing over to the makeshift bar where Sam doing impressions for Kurt and Blaine who were laughing along with him. Finn and Rachel were sitting together in a corner, talking intimately whilst Santana and Brittany were dominating the dance floor. And of course, Puck was surrounded by girls in red cheerios uniform; Quinn rolled her eyes, surely they'd realised what an idiot he was now. Sure, she adored him, but only as a friend and knew that there was no possibility of them being anything more. There were various other jocks and people scattered around the room, but no one seemed to be paying attention to the sad blonde in the corner, even if it was 'her night.'

"Hey Quinn" came a voice in front of her "How's it going?"

She glanced upwards, and spotted Max, the handsome brunette footballer sidling up to her. He had bright blue eyes and a cheeky smile. "Hey Max, I'm okay, how are you?" she returned politely as he sat down next to her, so close that the entire left side of his body touched her right and lazily slung an arm over her shoulder. Quinn shuddered, trying not to push him away. She should be having fun, or at least, trying to be and Max was good-looking and fun.

"I'm much better now" Max drawled and, before Quinn had time to comment on the cheesiness of his line, his lips were pressed to hers. Quinn squirmed, pressing her hands against his chest, and pushing backwards, hard. The combination of her strength through years of cheerios and gymnastics practices and surprise meant that she was able to push him away. But Max was stronger, and he leaned forwards again, pressing his lips roughly against Quinn's, kissing her hard.

"No" Quinn tried to shout, wincing away, but the boy wouldn't stop. His hands were now roaming Quinn's sides, lower and lower.

Then there was coldness. The absence of his body all over Quinn's was a pleasant surprise to her. She took a moment to compose herself, before looking up to what seemed to be the middle of a fight.

"What was that for?" yelled Max, shoving whoever had saved Quinn.

"Come on man, don't make this a fight. It was clear she didn't want it" The owner of the voice's face was hidden by the quickly forming crowd; so she couldn't identify him.

"What do you care? She's not yours anymore!" there was the sound of shoving, and the two figures moved backwards together.

"She may not be but that doesn't mean I don't care about her, just leave her alone!" Quinn's heart skipped a beat, she wasn't sure.. but of course! She would recognise that voice anywhere.

"And what if I don't want to?"

Quinn stood up, just in time to see Sam flying towards Max, shoving him up against the wall. "Just leave her alone" he yelled through gritted teeth. Quinn's pulse was racing, what was going on? Why was Sam doing this? She closed her eyes for a moment to regain her bearings, but they shot open again at the sound of skin hitting skin.

Quinn rushed off the staircase, trying to fight through the crowd of curious onlookers, but to no avail. They were all too drunk, too rowdy to let her through. Finally, there was a parting in the drunken wall which revealed Sam lying, sideways on the ground, purple marks already beginning to form around his eye.

There was a pain in her chest so strong that she swore her heart was breaking. Especially when she heard Sam moaning in pain. Immediately, Quinn rushed up the stairs towards Santana's kitchen, away from the awful scene.

* * *

"Are you feeling better now?" Quinn asked softly, green pools staring up at Sam's bruised but still handsome face. They were sitting against the wall in Santana's basement. Away from the body of the party and the music, where it was quieter. Although they were still in the open, it seemed to be much more private, or perhaps that was the effect that this boy had on her.

Quinn was holding the bag of frozen peas she had run up to retrieve just under Sam's eye. His skin creased slightly and he winced as he smiled at her "Yes, thank you.. you don't need to ask me every five seconds, you know" he teased.

"You know, this reminds me of an incident that happened last year" Quinn whispered "We ended up in pretty much this exact position" she almost immediately regretted her words. Hating to bring up her mistakes from the past, only further reminding Sam that she didn't deserve him, that she was an awful person. _Let go, Quinn, it's in the past, _she thought.

"Yeah" Sam chuckled, "I kind of do this a lot. But, enough about me, ready to tell me what was wrong the other day? Outside your locker?"

"I'm fine" Quinn replied, too quickly seeming to almost snap at him. "Sorry, I er- I was just sad about leaving, I've had so many good memories here" Sam stared at her so intently that she was almost positive that he saw straight through her lie, but, as he didn't comment on it, she didn't either.

They were staring into each other's eyes for a long time before he broke the silence "You've got gunk in your eye"

"What?"

"I promised I would always tell you when you did, remember?" He looked at her with eyes so sincere that they made her heart melt. "And to me, that's that"

Did she remember? Of course she remembered, they were in the astronomy room and Sam had given her the most adorable speech, including saying he wanted to marry her some day, and a promise ring. But, back then she had been stupid, didn't know how perfect he was and how much she truly liked him; until it was too late. But what did this mean? Did he still like her? Could they possibly get back together? _That's the past, Quinn, let go, remember_, she scolded herself. "Uh, yeah I remember"

There was more silence, but it wasn't awkward. It never had been between them, they had this natural chemistry, a spark that meant that they understood each other without words.

"Uh, do you want to do something?" Sam asked, ruffling the hair behind his neck with his hand.

"Sure, like what?" Quinn asked, large, innocent eyes looking up at him.

"A party game?"

"Suggestions?"

A wicked grin came across Sam's face "Truth or dare."

"Okay, you first" Quinn smiled. If anyone else had said it, she would have laughed in his or her face, but this was Sam. This was how they worked; he rebuilt her with humour and charm whilst she accepted his goofiness because he was so sweet.

"Dare"

"Um.. drink some of this" Quinn, leaned over, pulling out her bottle of vodka and waving it in front of his face.

"Easy" Sam grinned, taking a large swig of the colourless liquid. He shuddered slightly at the taste "Truth or dare?"

"Dare"

"I dare you, to tell me why you were so upset the other day" He asked, raising his eyebrows at her.

"No fair!" she squealed "You can't dare me to answer a truth!" What was she doing? She never squealed, Sam made her feel much more at ease, feel as though she could almost be herself.

"Damn, almost got you.. let me think." Sam paused, rubbing his chin as if he were deep in thought "Drink this" he handed the bottle back to her.

"Copycat" she stuck her tongue out at him, but obediently drank the strong liquid. She coughed slightly afterwards. "Truth or dare"

"Dare"

By now, the alcohol had already gone to Quinn's head and her world was beginning to turn fuzzy, meaning that her thoughts were no longer filtered by her rational mind. "Show me a stripper dance!" she blurted out.

"Really?" Sam shook his head, seeming almost as intoxicated as she was.

"Really."

"Fine" Sam seized the bottle back from Quinn, before knocking it back. He pulled himself up, and began to roll his body suggestively. He pulled off his white polo top and swung it in circles above his head before throwing it at Quinn who caught it and laughed in delight. They were both acting very uncharacteristically, but it was mostly the alcohol fuelling them.

What little rational sense Quinn still retained forced her to say "Alright you. That's enough. I pick dare"

"Show me a stripper dance"

"Really, copying me again?" Quinn shook her head, she still had enough wits about her to know that it wasn't a good idea "No."

"Fine, um.. show me those skysplits you're oh so famous for"

"That, I can do" Quinn winked, pushing herself up from the ground. She pulled off her heeled scandals and took a deep breath. Then, bent her legs for power, jumping and pushing off the ground, shooting her legs up beside her, arms out in front into a box split.

Sam was laughing and clapping at her and she took a faux bow.

"Wow that was amazing" he gushed "Okay, I'm going to mix it up a little. Truth"

Immediately, Quinn asked "What's going on between you and 'Cedes? I see the way you look at her, even right now, your eyes flicker over to where she and Shane are sitting, all the time"

"Nothing" Sam sighed "Well, I don't know. We kissed but we haven't spoken since. She seems pretty happy over there" Quinn felt as though her entire body had been plunged into icy water at the thought that Sam had kissed Mercedes, yes he wasn't hers and she had no right over him, but that didn't stop her from liking him.

She forced herself to smile, "Oh, well, good luck to you with her" she found herself saying, quickly adding "Dare" as, although she had brought it up, she no longer wanted to dwell on the subject.

"What are you hiding Quinn?" Sam asked, leaning forwards to brush a stray blonde hair behind her ear. "Will you do something for me?" he murmured.

"What?"

"Well you have to, actually. I dare you to kiss me" Sam's words were everything that Quinn had wanted to hear for the past year, but all the while he was saying them, he was looking past her at Mercedes. It was clear that he only wanted to make her jealous. But Quinn wasn't going to pass up the opportunity, perhaps, if she kissed him, he would remember how good they were together, and want her again.

"Well, a dare's a dare" Quinn relied coyly, trying not to sound too enthusiastic. She bit her lip to try and stop herself from grinning too widely.

Quinn leaned forwards, almost hesitantly, until her lips were an inch away from Sam's, where she stopped. "Indeed" he grinned, before closing the small gap between their faces.

Pleasure immediately rushed into Quinn's mind, she loved the feel of Sam's large lips against her soft, feminine ones. Santana may make fun of them, but he certainly knew how to kiss. She slipped her tongue in between his lips, running it along the line of his teeth and tentatively touching his with it before becoming more confident and kissing him harder.

They embraced for a long time before Sam finally pulled away. They were both breathing heavily, their faces flushed and they were grinning, but it wasn't long enough for Quinn. There was an emptiness in her stomach yearning for more of his touch. She looked up at Sam, and her face fell when she noticed that, after their passionate embrace, he was still looking past her.

She glanced over at Mercedes who was staring straight back at them. Quinn whipped her face back towards Sam's again, hoping that Mercedes hadn't caught her look and thereby revealing that it was all for her. An idea flashed through Quinn's mind, perhaps she could use Sam's crush to her advantage. She smiled darkly, some of the old, bitchy Quinn seeping back into her system. She leaned in close to Sam's ear, whispering seductively "You know what will make her really jealous? I dare you to come upstairs with me.. Santana's got plenty of unused rooms."

Sam looked at her, puzzled. He didn't reply for a long time, as though thinking it over, finally saying "I didn't say truth or dare yet" with a mock look of horror on his face.

"Truth or dare, then?" Quinn prompted, her eyes flashing mischievously at him.

There was no hesitation before he replied "Dare"

* * *

**A/N: I hope this was okay.. any comments, constructive criticism are always welcome? Thanks for reading!**

**Yeah, don't worry about what's going to happen, i'm trying not to take them too OOC so that it stays realistic to their true characters. I know exactly where I'm going with this but thought I would cut it here as this chapter is quite a big longer. Besides, everyones loves a cliffhanger.. I'm evil, right?**

**I'll try to update soon!**


	4. Chapter 4

**I told myself that I was going to sleep tonight, but I had even more inspiration for this. I pretty much know exactly what I'm going to do with it now, although I am always open to suggestions.**

**I wrote this chapter in both Quinn and Mercedes' POVs and I published ended up publishing Mercedes' kind of just as a filler. Quinn's will be up soon as I suppose you are all dying to know what's going on with her and Sam.**

**Thank you for all your wonderfully kind reviews/ favourites and subscriptions, they really mean a lot.**

**********Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters or Glee etc.**

* * *

**Mercedes' POV**

Mercedes was snuggled up on the sofa with Shane. The lights in Santana's basement were dimmed but she could make out most of the other figures in the room, especially the one she wanted to see. With his golden hair and toned body, Sam seemed to stand out from the crowd. Or perhaps that was just to her.

Ever since their kiss in the choir room, Mercedes hadn't been able to get the boy out of her mind. In that moment, it had felt right, as though it was meant to be. But what about Shane? She loved him, definitely, was it possible to love two people at once? Whether it was or not didn't really matter, Mercedes was stringing two boys along and it just wasn't fair. Also, she couldn't help but feel that she and Sam were just unfinished business- their summer fling had come to an abrupt end when Sam found that he was moving out of state for his father's job.

There had been kisses and empty, or maybe not so empty 'I love yous'. But the one thing that Mercedes and Sam didn't have was closure. Perhaps that's what they needed. So then why didn't Mercedes want it to end?

She remembered in her sophomore year, how insecure she was and how desperate she was for attention from a boy, even resorting to thinking she had a relationship with Kurt. But now she was confident and beautiful and had two boys after her, both of which had helped her blossom into her true potential. Now she had to choose one before she ruined it all.

Shane was stroking Mercedes' hand and smiled at her when she looked at him. "Have a drink, baby" he said, passing her a red plastic cup filled with beer.

"Thanks" she smiled, leaning into him further. Guilt was clawing away at her insides, she knew that she should tell Shane about the kiss with Sam but was too afraid to. Afterwards, she had given herself a week. A week to make up her mind, then that was that. She had five days left.

Her eyes glanced slyly upwards, scanning the room as she had been doing so every five minutes for the entire duration of the party, looking for the beautiful blonde boy who had consumed both her heart and her mind. She saw him laughing with Kurt and Blaine and smiled, wishing that she could go and join her friends but knowing that having both Sam and Shane within a couple of metres of each other wasn't a good idea.

Drowned with guilt, Mercedes turned back towards Shane and pressed her lips softly against his.

They only broke away from their embrace when loud, rowdy shouts could be heard from the crowd. Looking towards the middle of the room, Mercedes could see a circle beginning to form, obstructing her view of the event.

"What's going on?" she asked Shane who only shook his head. Of course he didn't know, he had been with her the entire night.

They both sat limply, waiting for the crowd to clear, knowing that trying to push their way in would be counter productive and may only get them injured in the process.

When the crowd finally diffused, Mercedes' eyes latched on to Sam lying weakly on the ground.

"Sam!" she gasped, jumping up from the sofa and stumbling her way over to him in the dark. She had almost made it to him when a blonde girl had thrown herself in between them wielding a bag full of open peas and gently pressing them against his already bruising eye.

"Baby!" came a voice from behind her "What are you doing? He's okay, Quinn's got him; come back over here"

Mercedes tore her tear filled eyes away from the blonde pair on the ground and walked slowly back to Shane, trying to compose himself before he saw her red eyes, but what she wouldn't give to be the one cleaning up his face, taking care of him.

"Come on, let's dance!" she smiled, when she approached him, hoping that the disctraction would prevent Shane from seeing how truly upset she was.

They found themselves in the middle of the dance floor and Mercedes had cleverly positioned herself so that Shane had his back to Sam and Quinn and she had a perfect, unobstructed view of them. This way, she could watch them without Shane knowing.

She could feel herself turning more and more green with jealousy, watching the pair laughing intimately together.

Her eyes widened at the sight of Sam's golden chest and she was unable to rip her gaze away from him. Until he kissed her. The kiss was passionate and sweet at the same time, and it filled Mercedes with possessive rivalry.

Wincing, she tore her eyes away, unable to watch them anymore. "I need another drink" she sighed, grabbing Shane by the wrist and pulling him towards the makeshift bar.

* * *

In a drunken haze, the noise in the room made it difficult for Mercedes to distinguish one person's voice from another, but a particularly shrill conversation rang through the air.

"Let's play spin the bottle!" Rachel shouted.

"Oh no you don't." Santana retorted "We're not having another repeat of your party, Berry. And we aren't all five"

"Spin the bottle, spin the bottle!" Rachel laughed, clapping her hands together excitedly.

"Really?" Santana raised her eyebrows and remained silent for a long time. "Fine, but me first, this girl wants to get her mack on"

Shane turned towards Mercedes, "You want to go baby?"

"I don't mind" she shrugged guiltily, the thought of spin the bottle only reminded her of the kiss with Sam in the auditorium.

"Come on, it'll be fun" he said, taking her hand and guiding her over to where a circle was forming. "Anyways, it's just a game, it doesn't count as cheating"

_Cheating_, the word rang through Mercedes' mind, deafening her, but she couldn't think about it here. She would have to ponder her life decisions somewhere else, as she certainly couldn't do it at a party in front of all her friends. "Okay" she replied weakly, allowing Shane to guide her.

"Hey, where's Quinn?" Mercedes frowned as she approached the crowd. Truly, she wanted to ask where Sam was, but realised that asking about Quinn was a much safer bet. No one knew what was going on with Sam, or at least, she hoped they didn't, but she felt as though the word 'cheater' was branded across her forehead.

"Q's getting a special congratulatory present from trouty mouth" Santana winked at Mercedes. "If you know what I mean"

"What a lad!" shouted Puck excitedly.

Mercedes' mouth went dry, so Sam had one upstairs with Quinn.. to have sex? Was he doing it because he liked her, or perhaps it was to get Mercedes back for going to the party with Shane. She didn't like the idea of Sam using Quinn and he definitely wasn't like that. But, the way he had kissed her just two days before and the influence of alcohol certainly weren't making the former option seem viable.

"I, er- need some water" she croaked, moving towards the stairs. She wondered where she would go. Would she just go and get a glass of water and come back, or would she go to find Sam and Quinn; and, if she did search for them, would it be to protect her friend, or for selfish reasons? She didn't know the answer to any of these questions, and was prevented from finding out by Shane offering to get her a drink.

"Alrights then!" Santana rasped loudly "While Mr Mercedes over here gets her some water, and ken and Barbie are getting it on upstairs, let's play a game of spin the bottle!"

There were cheers and claps from the circle as Santana downed the rest of her bottle and promptly placed it in the middle of the floor, flicking with her wrist so that it span around, the head pointing at everyone in turn.

* * *

"Alright! I have an announcement!" Yelled a very drunk Rachel Berry.

The game of spin the bottle was over. It hadn't really led to anything interesting, and Mercedes' mind was away with thoughts of Sam anyway so she hadn't really been paying attention to what had happened. She had then gone on to having shots with all of the glee club members bar Sam and Quinn, and Shane had wandered off to chat with some of his other friends.

"Come on then!" laughed Kurt, who was leaning heavily against Blaine. The pair seemed to be having difficulty standing up.

"Alright, alright" called Rachel; and, just as there was a gap in the music due to one song switching to another, she shouted "See this!" grabbing at a silver wring on a thin chain around her neck "It's an engagement ring! Finn and I are engaged!"

Silence filled the entire room.

Mercedes opened her mouth in a large 'O' shape, shock preventing her from saying anything. She was engaged? How did she know what she wanted at eighteen? To be with Finn for the rest of her life.. Mercedes couldn't imagine being with Shane forever, in fact, she could barely see it lasting a week longer, especially with thoughts of Sam rushing into her mind every time there was a gap in her thoughts.

The pregnant pause was ended when Brittany started bouncing up and down and clapping. In a drunken state of semi awareness, everyone in the room but Kurt slowly joined in, raising their glasses to Rachel and Finn.

"Wow" Mercedes breathed, pure shock was running through her veins and she didn't know how to react. She made her way over to Shane "I- er, I want to go home now"

"Are you okay baby?" he asked, brown eyes filled with concern.

"Just tired" she said, nodding slightly, as though she was trying to convince herself of it.

"Alright, I'll go and get your coat"

They quickly made their rounds, saying goodbye to each of their friends and walked out of the door. Mercedes looked back up at the house quickly, noticing that one of the upstairs lights was turned on, seeping through the tightly drawn curtains. Bitter jealousy filled her mouth at the thought of what Sam and Quinn might be doing up there.

* * *

**A/N: this was a little shorter but, as aways, any comments, constructive criticism are always welcome? Thanks for reading!**

**I included the Finchel engagement to try and stick to Glee's story lines a little bit, also just for an added bit of drama but I probably won't do any more canon story lines as it will probably get too much.**

**I've written the rest of the party in Quinn's POV already and will be updating soon!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi guys, thank you all again for your lovely reviews! They really make my day.**

**So, I guess this is the chapter we've all been waiting for, will it be everything you wanted or.. ? I don't know, but I will say that this has been my favourite chapter so far to write!**

**************Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters or Glee etc.**

Quinn pulled Sam roughly into Santana's spare room. Fuelled by alcohol and the desperate need for acceptance, she closed the door behind them, turning so that Sam's back was pressed against the hard wood. She used her left hand to lock the door whilst her right slipped behind his neck, pulling his lips to hers and pressing them together hard.

She ran her tongue along his bottom lip, silently asking for permission to enter, which he quickly granted. His hands ran along the small of her back, pulling her close to him, deepening the kiss whilst their tongues battled together.

Quinn felt wonderfully light and airy. She had been waiting for this forever. She had missed Sam so much. Her small hands ran across his entire body, starting with his soft blonde hair and slowly moving downwards. Quinn recalled their first date in Breadstix where they had accepted each other, and began to open up: him about dying his hair and her about Beth. They were perfect together, and now they were getting that back.

In that moment, Quinn didn't care what Sam's intentions were, she just needed to be accepted, to be loved. She ran her soft hands across his chest, still bare from his strip dance earlier. His hard muscle felt lovely against her hand and she smiled mid-kiss.

"What?" he breathed against her lips.

"Nothing" Quinn whispered in return, but couldn't help a shy grin from spreading across her lips.

Every one of Sam's movements so far had been slow, hesitant almost, proving what a gentleman he was, even after everything he had been through. Quinn admired that, but that wasn't what she needed. What she needed was someone who was going to take control, make her feel special and wanted.

"Come on Sam" she teased "Don't be shy"

She squealed when he placed both hands on her bum and lifted her gently. Immediately, she wrapped her legs around his strong waist. She cupped his cheek in her hands, using them to pull her face to hers.

She drew back slightly, planting soft kisses down his jaw line. She reached his neck and nipped at the skin, sucking hard whilst wrapping her slender arms around his neck.

Sam responded with a moan of pleasure and began to make his way over to the made up double bed. He sat down on the edge of it, his strong muscles easily guiding Quinn with him. She pulled away from his neck, smiling mischievously. Quinn placed both hands on his shoulders and pushed sam backwards so that he was lying with his back on the soft mattress. Then, straddling him, she leant forwards to kiss him again.

Sam's warm hands rested on her sides, moving upwards and along her back very gently, all the while outside her blue dress. Then, he flipped her over so that she was underneath, repositioning so that they were lying completely on the bed.

He placed his elbow next to her head, leaning on it. Smiling down at her, he whispered "Too shy for you?"

Quinn giggled, it must be the alcohol and Sam's general presence, which made her feel slightly high. "No" she whispered, trying to sound seductive. "Remember when you asked for a little something something?" she whispered, reminding him of last year when he tried to pressure her into going further than she was ready for. She wasn't more ready now, but she needed to feel accepted and this was the only way she could think of. "You can have that now" she purred, a trembling hand moving on top of his, slowly guiding his hand over her dress, up her stomach and over her breast.

His eyes widened and she was rewarded with a beautiful grin. Sam squeezed in the most delicious why which made Quinn moan in delight. She had never experienced anything like this before, from what she could remember with Puck, it had just been sex, nothing good or fun about it. But Sam was making her feel wonderful.

Sam leaned down to kiss her again, slipping his tongue into her mouth and gently moving it around. Quinn remembered just how good a kisser Sam was, and she loved every second of his embrace. It sent shivers down her spine and she ran her hands across his defined back.

"You know" Sam grinned, sitting her up slightly. "I'm feeling a little alone, topless like this, care to join me?" he moved his hand to the back of Quinn's dress, closing it around the clasp and slowly, teasingly pulling it down.

Every rational sense Quinn had came crashing down on her. She couldn't let him see her. He was beautiful, muscular and strong, had nothing to be shy about. But she, she was broken and discarded. Forever marked as used by the silvery lines that decorated her stomach. She was hideous, with stretch marks that refused to fade and fat left over from her pregnancy. Who would want her when she was like that? Sam only did now because he hadn't seen her. There was a reason why she never wore truly revealing clothes. She was disgusting.

"No, Sam" she murmured, pushing his hands away and quickly doing the zipper back up again. She leaned forwards to kiss him again, but this time, it was Sam that refused. He leant backwards, away from Quinn's lips.

Her eyes brimmed with tears. She was right, no one wanted her, Sam was just caught up in the moment, in the party atmosphere and the effects of the alcohol; he didn't want her, he wanted Mercedes. Uncontrollable, ugly, fat tears began to roll down her cheeks.

Sam's eyes immediately filled with worry and concern, and he wiped away her glistening tears with his thumb, "Hey Quinn, what's wrong?" he asked softly. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have pushed you. It was just, we were in the bedroom, and you asked me to come here, and you said I could have a little something something.." he trailed off his ramble, unsure of what to say next.

Sniffing, Quinn closed her eyes, trying to compose herself. Why did she do this? Only making herself even more unattractive in front of the perfect boy. She exhaled deeply, "Nothing's wrong Sam, sorry. I don't know what came over me" she tried to laugh it off, leaning forwards to kiss him again.

Again, Sam moved away from her, "Quinn, tell me, please. You helped me last year when I needed it, with my family and our money problems, now I'm going to help you. And don't lie to me saying you're okay, I know you, remember?" he replied softly, planting a light kiss on her forehead.

Quinn felt five years old, pathetic and young. Her eyes were glued to the sheets, staring intently downwards so that the true depth of her sadness wouldn't be revealed to him.

"Hey, what happened to focusing on the good things, Quinn? What happened? Please tell me, I want to help you." Sam prompted again. When it became clear that Quinn wasn't willing to talk any time soon, Sam moved to the end of the bed, so that he was leaning against the head board. He gently reached over, plucking Quinn up from the middle of the bed and pulling her up beside him, tucking her under his arm. He held her tightly, cooing her and shushing her, slowly rubbing his fingers soothingly up her arm.

"Whenever you're ready to tell me, Quinnie. I'm not going anywhere" he murmured, close to her ear before planting a soft kiss there.

Quinn leaned into his chest, pressing a hand against it. The only sound she could hear was the steady beat of his heart, the sounds of the party below must have been shut out by the closed doors and floors between them, and it seemed to calm her. The strong, steady drumbeat, which started rapidly with the excitement of their encounter and seemed to be slowing slightly made her relax along with it.

She looked up into his green eyes, with her own green-flecked hues. The look in his eyes was so sincere and full of care that it made her heart melt. If only she had someone like him, or just him to love her. She would be the happiest girl in the world, or, at least, she thought she would. "It's pathetic, really"

"If anything's making you this upset, it can't be that pathetic. I know you, remember that. I know that you're putting up a strong front all the time, but there are cracks in it. And it flatters me that you're able to be yourself around me, even if you're crying because it means that you trust me. And I want to help you Q, I really do, so please tell me"

Quinn paused a moment, thinking over his words. It was true that she always seemed to break down when Sam was around, but that could just be coincidence. Either way, she decided to tell him. "I'm broken Sam"

"What?" he asked, his face bewildered.

"I'm used, hideous" she whispered.

"Are you joking Quinn?" Sam frowned, hugging her tighter "You were the most beautiful girl in the room tonight. In fact, you're the most beautiful girl in most rooms"

"I'm the only girl in this room" she muttered sarcastically.

"Oh come on, Quinn. You know what I mean. You have absolutely nothing to worry about. You're beautiful. Always have been. Heck- you even make crying look elegant" he smiled, wiping more tears off her face with his gentle fingers.

"You're so goofy Sam" she laughed. That was the strange thing about her connection with him, even though he was goofy and joked around a lot, Sam always knew how to make her feel better. But," she continued hesitantly "You don't understand"

"Then help me understand Q, I won't hurt you, I promised that, remember?"

"I- Beth.. I had a baby. She's- I've got these horrible stretch marks, and fat. I'm hideous, you only really see my face, but she's left me scarred. I'm disgusting."

Sam opened his mouth in shock "Quinn, look at me" he said sternly, grabbing her face in his palm and turning it so that she was looking directly into his deep green eyes. "You are not hideous, at all, you are absolutely stunning, okay? Remember that, please. Any guy would be lucky to have you"

She offered Sam a sad smile, nodding her head.

"But, It's good we stopped where we did" Sam continued slowly "I wouldn't want us to regret anything."

Quinn's heart sank. Of course he would regret being with her. He didn't truly want her, who would? But instead of voicing her thoughts, she moved on, hating to dwell on the topic of herself. "Mhmm, so really, what's going on between you and 'Cedes?" she asked, wide eyed "I told you, so now please tell me"

Sam sighed, scratching the back of his neck with his hand "I don't even know Quinn. I really like her, but I think she's into Shane. I'm about ready to give up. I would have already, if she didn't kiss me. But we haven't spoken since. I suppose she'd rather have Shane.."

Quinn copied Sam, grabbing his face and turning it towards hers "Sam, look at me" she said, grinning "You are the sweetest, cutest, funniest guy and anyone would be lucky to have you. If 'Cedes cant see how perfect you are then she's not worth it. But she'll come around, I know she will. You really like her, don't you?" Quinn closed her eyes, trying to control the stabbing pain in her heart at her own words. Unrequited love, it was the worst kind. Especially when you loved the other person so much that you would help them get what they wanted because all you want is to see them happy.

"Yeah I do, thanks, Q" Sam whispered. "So, what do you want to do now?"

"Just hold me, Sam, make me feel wanted" Quinn mumbled, snuggling more tightly into his arms. She closed her hand over the his, the one which was wrapped around her waist, and leaned her head against him.

"Sure thing, this is your night, after all" Sam murmured, "Congratulations on Yale by the way. You finally got your ticket outta here, but I'm going to miss you a lot" he placed a gentle peck on the edge of her lips. Quinn could feel the chemistry between them, the pull in her heart telling her to grab Sam and kiss him squarely on the lips. But she couldn't, she didn't deserve him, and she wasn't good enough.

She didn't know how to respond to his words, so she remained silent

Pushing the sad thoughts out of her mind, Quinn, didn't know how to respond to his words, so she remained silent; she settled into his arms comfortably, wishing that this moment could last forever because, right now, she was happy.

* * *

**A/N: I hope this was what you guys wanted! any comments, constructive criticism are always welcome? Thanks for reading!**

**I don't know if it was expected or anything but I adore this chapter because it's so cute! Oh and I also changed the rating to M, I don't know if it was but just in case.**

**I've already written the next chapter and I think i'm planning to do that for the rest of them so that I keep ahead of myself and don't leave massive gaps if I get writer's block. Anyways, reviews etc. are always appreciated and if you'd like to send me suggestions or just have a chat you can hit up my tumblr which is Thanks guys!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi guys, so sorry for not updating. Although I did just take a nine hour flight and wrote 3 chapters so they're ready to post pretty soon.**

**Once again thanks for all your reviews/ follows/ favourites and I won't ramble any longer because I've kept you all waiting long enough.**

******************Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters or Glee etc.**

* * *

Mercedes was walking down the hallway during lunchtime towards the God Squad meeting room. She was humming softly to herself, finding that it distracted her from her thoughts. Guilt was still eating up at her about her kiss with Sam and she had yet to tell Shane.

"Hey, 'Cedes!" Came a male voice from behind her and she fell silent.

Mercedes couldn't help the little smile from creeping onto her lips or her cheeks from flushing deep red. She had had this reaction whenever Sam approached her since Prom last year but now the feelings seemed to have deepened. However, despair and heartache had laced themselves somewhere in between the crush and Mercedes also felt a little green.

Regardless of whatever Mercedes was feeling; she stopped to wait for him, as she always had. Mercedes still found it hard to believe that someone as perfect as Sam would even look at her. She knew that she was beautiful, everyone was in their own way, she just wasn't as obviously good looking as others, but two boys had helped her build her confidence to what it was now. Sam had been the first to help her, when he told her she looked beautiful at Prom she had swooned and fallen for him straight away. Never believing that he might return her affections. Though, he didn't now, did he? Especially with what happened with Quinn at the party.

A new emotion came over her, anger. She curled her fists at the thought of Sam using Quinn, especially while she was so fragile, but Sam wasn't like that, and she had seen the two having a fair few intimate moments together, and perhaps there was something more going on. But where did that leave her?

"Hey Sam" she greeted him softly, eyes glued to the ground.

"Can I walk you to the god squad meeting?" His smile was so genuine and cute that Mercedes immediately nodded in ascent. But what could be the harm in walking together? They were going to the same place after all.

"So, Regionals are next week, are you excited?"

Mercedes frowned, she had been half expecting for Sam to bring up something about the party, or at least Quinn, but he was acting as though nothing had happened and this conversation could possibly be completely platonic. She couldn't help the way her expression drooped at this realisation, she knew that wanting two guys to fawn over her was cruel and unfair but she hadn't made a decision and it seemed as though one had already been made for her, and she didn't like it. But, if he wasn't going to bring up the party then she wouldn't either, "Yeah, it'll be fun to be singing with the New Directions again" she said, trying to keep her voice from wavering.

"I missed you" Sam smiled and Mercedes' heart leapt, but he quickly added on "Well, all of you guys. It was weird, I just came back to Mckinley but it seemed as though everything was different without you all"

"Well, we weren't really happy that everything was about Rachel" Mercedes said quietly, remembering what had happened with West Side Story.

Sam laughed, shaking his head "I heard about that. They should have cast you, you're amazing Mercedes"

"Wow, thanks Sam" Mercedes was conflicted, she couldn't figure out whether that was a friendly comment or if it meant something more, and she still had no idea what was going on with Quinn. She knew that this would be good for her, that it was what she had wanted all along, so why was there an ache in her chest at the thought that Sam was no longer hers?

"I really have missed you, our rela- friendship. We need to catch up" Sam said quickly.

"Okay" Mercedes found herself replying instantly, as if her sub-conscious, the part of her that wanted Sam's love and adoration was taking over.

"Sit next to me on the bus down to regionals?" Sam looked at her with sad eyes, as if expecting her to decline.

Taken in by his endearing charm, Mercedes smiled and nodded at him "Of course, Sam"

Sam's grin could have lit up the entire school, and it certainly lifted Mercedes' heart, especially when he pulled her into a tight hug, mumbling "irayo lor"

They made idle chat as the carried on the rest of the short walk to the classroom where the God Squad meetings were held.

* * *

"I now call this meeting of the God Squad to order, thank you all for coming" Mercedes started, lightly hitting the gavel twice as she did at the beginning of every meeting. "First order of business is to welcome Quinn Fabray back into the fold, it's nice to see you Quinn"

Mercedes smiled at her friend, she truly was glad that Quinn had returned, but there was a little tugging of resentment at the back of her mind, that she would no longer be alone with Sam at meetings, and therefore no longer had an excuse to spend time with him. She tried to think positively, if she wasn't alone with Sam any more then she would have no reason to be drawn to him, not that he wanted her anymore.

"Thank you, I know it's been a while. When I was at my lowest, I turned to prayer, not even sure who I was praying to really, but, it seemed to lead me on the right track." Mercedes couldn't help but notice how elegant Quinn looked, she was beautiful and poised, even her speaking voice was perfect. No wonder Sam wanted her. However, there was a sadness in her eyes, one that she couldn't quite define.

"Amen" Sam nodded, pulling Mercedes out of her thoughts.

"Praise" Mercedes echoed absentmindedly.

"So, valentines day is coming up after Regionals" Mercedes started, trying to keep her voice as professional as possible. "and it seems like a great opportunity for community service-"

Sam cut in "Valentine's day is right around the corner" he said, repeating Mercedes' last point but also sliding a glance in Quinn's direction, who raised her eyebrows at him. What was going on? "And there's an open slot for singing telegrams. All three of us sing and I can play the guitar so I thought, we could use the money to send to charity"

"Praise" Mercedes echoed again, she was at a loss for words, unable to concentrate on the God Squad meeting when there was so clearly something going on between two of the members. Green jealousy flowed through her veins, spreading over her entire body and consuming her thoughts.

"I like that idea" Quinn smiled back at Sam "It's cute"

During their exchange, Mercedes had been turning back and forth between looking at Sam and Quinn, she felt like the third wheel in someone else's relationship and so, finally settled on staring at her hands, twiddling her thumbs. But she couldn't help her gaze from sliding slowly over to Sam, but he was looking at Quinn so intently that Mercedes was sure he didn't notice. Her eyes widened when she noticed two small red bumps blossoming on the side of Sam's neck. Mercedes drew a sharp breath, which luckily was not noticed by the other members. This confirmed what Sam and Quinn had done the night of the party. Before her eyes began to brim with tears, Mercedes focused back on the meeting in hand.

"I may not be a smart man but I know what love is" Sam said in a deep tone, reverting to his usual voice, he added "Forest Gump"

Quinn giggled, but, before she could reply, Mercedes cut in, deciding that she had had enough of their flirting. "Okay so all in favour?" she asked curtly.

Three hands raised followed by three 'I's

"Good, so that's settled. After regionals we'll put up posters saying $10 for a song" She sighed, partially feeling guilty about butting in on their conversation, but she tried to justify herself with the thoughts that this was God Squad and was no place for flirting.

* * *

"Yeah, actually Finn and I have an announcement we would like to make" Rachel's voice rang just before the end of Glee club.

Mercedes was sitting on a chair at the back of the choir room, and had the perfect view of Rachel tugging a flustered looking Finn out into the centre of the room. However, she also had the perfect view of Sam and Quinn sitting next to each other, they had been nudging and whispering to each other throughout the entire practice and their rudeness was getting on Mercedes' nerves, though perhaps it was only jealousy.

"As most of you well know from Saturday night, Finn and I are proud to confirm.. that we are finally getting married!" she squealed excitedly, waving her left hand in front of her.

There was a collective "What?" around the room. Mercedes herself was speechless in shock. She was sure that Rachel had been joking, or too drunk to know what she was saying and hadn't given her confession at Santana's party a second thought, but now she was announcing it in front of the entire Glee club, so it must be serious.

"When's the baby's due date?" Puck smirked.

"Wait, guys, have you both carefully thought this through?" Mr Schue voiced the thought that was on everyone's mind.

"Yes, and our parents are totally behind us" She said boldly. "You're all invited of course. Finn wanted to have it as soon as possible" she beamed at him, placing a hand on his chest "So, straight after regionals, we're going to have a very simple and elegant ceremony at the justice of the peace"

"You guys aren't mature enough or old enough to properly face this type of commitment" Quinn said, Mercedes could only see the back of her head but, by the tone of her voice and the way she was shaking her head, Mercedes could tell that she was both shocked and appalled by the announcement. Instead of worrying over Rachel and Finn like she know she should be, all that was running through Mercedes' mind were the thoughts of what Sam and Quinn were doing upstairs alone that prevented them from hearing Rachel's screechy announcement that night. She blew air out of her mouth to try and calm herself slightly.

"If you don't support us then I feel sorry for you and you're not invited to the wedding." Rachel stated, looking up at Finn sadly "Which makes me really sad because I would have loved to see you in a bridesmaid's dress Quinn"

"We hope you change your mind because it would mean a lot to us if you were all there" Finn added in.

"Let's stop the fighting and remind ourselves that Valentine's day is rapidly approaching so, if you'll excuse me, I've got some sugary sweet game to spit" Artie interrupted, effectively ending the argument as he began to sing.

* * *

After Glee club finished, Mercedes noticed that all the Glee girls had hung back, so she copied them. Finn and Rachel were the last to leave and, just as Rachel was walking out of the door, Santana shouted "Oh no no no, you get yourself back here, Berry"

"Rachel" Quinn walked up to the brunette and took her by the hand, guiding her back into the room. "What are you thinking?"

Rachel sighed, but began explaining anyway "I love Finn, and nothing's certain about NYADA, he's the only thing that I've got and I don't want to lose him. I know we're going to get married someday so why not just do it now?"

"And what about what we talked about in the washroom?" Quinn asked "Or Never Can Say Goodbye?"

"Quinn, I-" Rachel started but Mercedes, who had been feeling rather limp and quiet for the entire Glee practice, ever since she seen Sam's hickeys, cut her off. "No, come on guys, we can't talk about this here. How about, we have a Glee girl's sleepover at my house tomorrow night, just before regionals?"

There was a murmur of agreement around the room and Rachel shot Mercedes a relieved 'thank you' look.

"I'll see you all there then" Mercedes smiled, before grabbing her bag and walking out of the door to meet Shane who was driving her home.

* * *

**A/N: I hope this was what you guys wanted! any comments, constructive criticism are always welcome? Thanks for reading!**

**Sorry this took so long! To make it up to you, I'll take in all your comments/ criticism, tweak the next chapter and have it up ASAP**

**oh and also I changed the orders of events like Valentine's day & Sectionals for storyline purposes**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey, sorry this took longer than expected, hotel wifi is so temperamental. **

**Anyways, thanks for all the feedback :) You guys are so lovely! And yes, just to repeat, I've switched the valentine's day/ regionals timings around.**

**I used the Bridesmaid scene, as slight inspiration for this (afdajlfda Ryan Murphy released it) and thanks to lappers84 for plot ideas :)**

**********************Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters or Glee etc.**

* * *

Pale moonlight streamed into Quinn's room, illuminating her porcelain skin. A thin trickle of white gleamed through the pane her head was leaning against. Quinn was sitting in the small bay window in her room, hugging a pillow, legs bent up towards her chest. Her thoughts were dancing, but not in the beautiful, elegant way that suggested years of practice, they were doing a samba, far too intricate and fast running for Quinn to cope with. Her mind kept jumping between Sam, Mercedes, Rachel, Finn, her future, and countless other worries.

Quinn and Sam hadn't spoken about what happened the night of the party, though, what had happened? Nothing really, and she couldn't help feeling the twinge of sadness that nothing did. Instead, Sam made Quinn feel like a baby, pathetic and crying. She sighed, this was not the time to be thinking about her love life, or lack of. She had something much more important to worry about. One of her best friends was about to make the biggest mistake of her life – it was strange thinking of Rachel as her friend, Quinn never thought she'd see the day when she hung out with that loser, but she'd changed, they both had, become more mature and saw the error in both their personalities. Rachel had toned down the prima donna act, and Quinn was no longer bitchy- well, most of the time.

Glancing at her clock, Quinn's eyes flashed wide open. She was going to be late if she didn't leave soon. She didn't know if she was looking forwards to going or not, on one hand, she needed to sort out Rachel, but on the other, she didn't want to face Mercedes. The girl whom Sam loved, she didn't want to admit out loud that there was nothing going on between her and Sam anymore; which surely she would have, Quinn noticed all the sideways glances Mercedes gave her, and especially after the party, there'd be no escaping the questions. But wouldn't it be obvious to the girls? Why would anyone want her? She was used and damaged; no one wanted a girl like that.

Slowly, drawing out her time, Quinn packed her pyjamas, toothbrush, purse and clothes for the next day in her large tote bag. She didn't expect that she'd need much else. Then she headed towards the front door, sticking her head in her mom's room on the way to shout "Mom! I'm staying over at Mercedes' tonight"

But the sight of her mother stopped Quinn in her tracks. Julie Fabray was perched on the edge of her bed in a silk dressing gown, leaning over, head between her knees. "Mom?" Quinn called out softly, tentatively padding towards the bed.

"Hey mom, are you okay?" she asked again as she sat down beside her trembling mother. Quinn wrapped an arm around her mother's back, gently pulling her up, murmuring small 'shhs'.

There were bright crimson rings around Julie Fabray's watery eyes, tearstained face and hollowed cheeks. She said nothing, instead burying herself into her daughter's embrace.

There wasn't a need for words, ever since Quinn gave birth to Beth, she and her mother had been closer than ever. Though that may have also been due to her father leaving. Quinn was a lot like her mother in that they both suffered in silence. Quinn had exploded at the beginning of senior year, when everything she kept bottled up came spilling out and she had her 'skanks' phase. She was constantly terrified that her mother would do something of similar nature because, although she didn't admit it, Quinn was sure that her father's leaving had a much more profound effect on Julie than she would have liked.

That was the thing about men, they weren't reliable and both Fabray's had been scarred by their experiences. There was nothing to say, and so Quinn gently rocked her mother back and forth, stroking her hair, glistening droplets of salty water streaming down her own face.

* * *

Quinn had finally made it to Mercedes' house, an hour late after comforting her mother, but it was worth it. Quinn would do anything to make her mother happy again. Whilst in the car, the harsh silence caused by her broken radio forced Quinn into addressing some of her thoughts. She focused on herself, and decided that she cried far too often for her liking. Something had to change, but what?

"This is kind of like my hen night!" Rachel squealed excitedly, causing an immediate pause in conversation and cutting through Quinn's thoughts.

"I can't believe you're getting married" Sugar interjected

Quinn raised an eyebrow, she couldn't take anymore of this. "I hate to be the buzzkill, but, Rachel are you sure that you're really ready for this?"

"I've never been more certain about anything in my entire life" Rachel squeaked, clasping her hands together and smiling widely "Besides you can't spell infinity without Finn"

"Okay, I've tried to reason you and even tried to be nice about it but I'm not going to stand around and watch you ruin your life by marrying Finn Hudson" Quinn stood up and spoke with purpose. She'd been there, two years ago, she thought that she was going to end up with Finn and they'd get married, but that was a mistake, and she only realised it after she lost Sam. If she'd have stayed with him then perhaps she wouldn't even be going to Yale, or, if she did go, she'd be dragging baggage from her past with her, holding her back from her true potential.

"I'm not going to ruin it, I'm going to start my life with him" Rachel insisted, making wild hand gestures.

"Is anybody else with me on this?" Quinn looked around at a sea of bland faces, she rolled her eyes, it seemed as though everyone was crazy. "Looks like I'm the only one with balls enough to say it," she continued, rolling her eyes at her friends "Rachel, the thing that I admire most about you is that you're a girl that has never apologised for your ambition. You're the shining star of all of us, like it or not, it's true. And as we get closer and closer to graduation, you keep hiding your light behind this stupid Finn-wedding thing. I never pegged Rachel Berry as the girl who was too scared to take on the world. You need to let go, we all do" her last three words were barely a whisper.

"Mhmm" Rachel nodded sadly "If that's how you feel, then I'd prefer if you didn't attend the wedding"

"I won't be" Quinn stated.

An awkward silence filled the room.

"So Quinn, what's with you and trouty mouth?" Santana demanded bluntly, possibly making it even more awkward.

Quinn shot Santana a shocked look.

"What?" Santana shrugged.

Quinn's gaze shyly fell upon Mercedes, searching her for some kind of emotion before she responded. The corners of Mercedes' lips turned upwards in a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. Quinn sighed, she may be have been able to lie to herself, to fabricate some kind of relationship with Sam in her mind, but she couldn't lie to her friends. "Nothing" she whispered, almost ashamed.

"Oh really, because you two disappeared off to my room the pretty early at the party, and the bed was all neatly made up afterwards.. so, did you do it?" Quinn's mouth formed a small 'o' and her cheeks flushed rose. Santana really had no shame.

"Really, nothing" Quinn repeated slowly.

"Valentine's Day is next week, is he going to take you out?"

Quinn shook her head, trying to hide her melancholy.

"What happened to us telling each other everything, we're best friends Q" Brittany whined, giving such an unhappy look that Quinn was almost guilted into saying more, although none of it would have been true.

"What do you want me to say?" Quinn snapped, "That we had sex, that we're going to make the mistake of getting married?" she shot Rachel a harsh glare.

"It's not a mistake! I love Finn" Rachel argued immediately.

"No- sorry Q" Brittany murmured tentatively, staring at the ground and pouting.

Santana rolled her eyes, "Well now look what you've done, Quinn, ruined the entire party"

"Er- I'm going to go check on the pizza" Mercedes cut in. Quinn had been watching her the whole time, she had been awkwardly leaning forwards in curiosity, the indifference in her features obviously not expressing what she truly felt.

"I'll come with you" Quinn immediately responded, her eyes begging Mercedes' for some relief from Santana's wrath. Quinn loved Santana, but she hated being grilled like this, especially when she was so used to doing the grilling; she sighed as though a great weight had been lifted from her when Mercedes gave a small nod of consent.

Quinn fled from the room, following Mercedes into her kitchen, "So, 'Cedes, how long has the pizza got le-"

"What's going on between you and Sam?" Mercedes interrupted.

Quinn's green-flecked eyes widened in shock, it was as though Santana had crept into Mercedes' body to spy on her. She flashed Mercedes the well-practiced fake smile she hardly ever used anymore since she stopped acting like HBIC.

"Sorry," Mercedes continued quickly, "I er- I just want to know. And I feel like you need someone to talk to, and by the looks of it the others aren't going to be much help"

"Look Mercedes" Quinn snapped, something had stirred inside her, probably the way Sam looked at Mercedes when he thought no one was paying attention, and the way that all the happiness drained from his green eyes when he saw her with Shane. It roused the bitchy Quinn from two years ago, the headstrong girl who was never afraid to speak her mind, or who would do anything to get what she wanted. "You need to stop messing with Sam, okay? And Shane. You're acting like a whore and it's not going to end well"

Mercedes immediately flushed in embarrassment, "I.. I know" she sighed, deflated.

"Sorry" Quinn reached out to take her friend's hand, "I just can't stand to see either of you in pain like this anymore. This happened to me last year, you know, and I lost the best guy I ever had. I just don't want the same to happen to you"

"I know, but it's so hard, they're both great guys"

"It's not about them both being great though, you want the one you can't live without, not the one that provides temporary excitement. I made the mistake of picking Finn because we had unfinished business. We ended so quickly, you know? With the whole Beth drama, and we didn't speak much because he was with Rachel. Once I kissed him, and we finally got a sort of closure; I realised that I wanted to be with Sam, but it was too late"

"Oh Quinn" Mercedes said kindly, "I- I never knew. I guess I've got some thinking to do"

Quinn nodded solemnly.

"Really though Quinn, what's going on with you and Sam?" Mercedes repeated, quickly adding "It might affect my decision. This whole situation is kind of a mess"

"Yeah" Quinn mused, "I guess you deserve to know"

Mercedes remained silent, waiting with baited breath for Quinn's answer.

"Well, nothing. I wouldn't lie to you guys" Quinn realised that her answer was an anti-climax, but it was the truth even though she wished for _something_ between them.

"Are you sure Quinn? Because I noticed you two kissing the other night; and you both disappeared.." Mercedes trailed off, it was clear that she didn't want to seem as though she was prying, but was still curious all the same.

Quinn closed her eyes, comforted slightly by the solace of darkness. She considered lying to Mercedes, saying that they only went upstairs to clean up Sam's wound. But when she said before that Mercedes deserved t know, it was true. She was caught up in whatever it was with Sam as much as Quinn was, and she deserved to know where she stood. "Okay, so we kissed. Then we went up to Santana's room and kissed a bit more, but it didn't go further. We stopped, pretty quickly actually, but then didn't feel like going back to the party" Quinn didn't elaborate further, and she rapped out the words quickly, as emotionless as possible, afraid that she would start to cry again which wouldn't help either of them. Where was that fierce blonde, popular girl from three years ago?

"Oh, he had a couple of hickeys on his neck the next day, was that you?" Mercedes pressed.

"Yeah" she murmured, her cheeks burning.

"Why do you always look so sad nowadays Quinn?" Mercedes asked softly, seemingly changing the subject. She approached the small blonde and rested a hand on her upper arm.

"I, I don't know." Quinn sniffed, tears beginning to brim her eyes and threatening to spill over. In truth, she'd always been like this, the bitchy head cheerleader with hidden depth, but of course it was hidden, she was controlled by her insecurity. That was the reason why she'd had sex with Puck, because she felt fat and he got her drunk, and, from there, it had only gone down hill. Quinn loved Beth, of course she did, but life was so much simpler before she got pregnant. Now, Quinn was more insecure than ever; the silvery lines on her skin defining her life. As much as she put on a brave front, that's exactly what it was, a mask. And it was wearing down, more and more cracks appearing on the surface.

An arm came around Quinn's shoulder, pulling her towards Mercedes. "Hey, it's okay, you can tell me" she cooed.

"I just want someone to love me. Come Valentine's Day, everyone will have someone and I'll be alone eating ice cream with my mother" Quinn cried out, hot tears rolling down her pale cheeks. She blinked, trying to push the tears away but they wouldn't obey and kept spilling in uncontrollable waves. "The haircut, it was supposed to fix that, make me feel pretty; but that only lasted for a couple of weeks, then I joined the skanks. I don't know 'Cedes, I thought I was over all this but I'm not. I should be, I'm going to Yale!" Quinn knew that her broken up phrases didn't make much sense, but neither did her mind, or why she constantly felt so sad.

"Quinn, do you know how pretty you are? You're the prettiest, most popular girl in the school, you're Quinn Fabray" Mercedes stroked Quinn's arm, hugging her friend closely.

"Used to be" Quinn pouted pathetically, "I don't know what happened to her, but she's gone now. I don't know who I am anymore"

There was a long pause, in which the two girls just embraced, comforting each other, the way they had two years ago, when they both had such different problems.

"Sam" Quinn continued, "He's just so sweet. He makes me feel special, beautiful. He's the first person, other than you, to accept me after what happened with Beth, the first one who didn't judge me, and he made me feel whole again after that. I just- I get the feeling that he could fix whatever's missing but- he's just such a good guy, better than anyone I deserve. He really likes you 'Cedes, you're lucky to have him"

Mercedes ignored Quinn's comments about her and Sam's relationship, whispering "You really like him, don't you?"

It was time for her to admit it out loud, Quinn took a deep breath and nodded. "But he likes you" she protested.

"I- I know, Quinn." Mercedes's voice was flat and melancholy. More tears streamed down Quinn's face, of course Mercedes was sad, she couldn't be with a guy, be happy, because one of her friends was stopping her, she was being far too kind to Quinn. "It's okay, 'Cedes, I want you to be happy"

"Shh, Quinn" Mercedes cooed, a grim look on her face, "I just, I need to think about something."

* * *

**A/N: I hope this was what you guys wanted! any comments, constructive criticism are always welcome? Thanks for reading!**

**I just need to change a few things with the next chapter and it'll be ready to post, hopefully quite soon.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry this took so long guys! I was on holiday, but now I'm back and in the mood for writing so here we go..**

**Thank you for your lovely reviews, I really appreciate them and they make me feel good about writing this even when I feel like I'm writing a load of crap.**

**************************Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters or Glee etc.**

* * *

"Alright guys, I've got a good feeling about this. So let's just go on up there, sing your hearts out, and we'll come home with another Sectionals win, okay?"

"Right Mr Schue!" shouted the collective Glee club, and they began to pile on to the bus.

Mercedes climbed up the steep, plastic steps just after Quinn, who took a place at the front, immediately plugging in her iPod headphones and shutting out the world. Mercedes was worried about her friend, and wanted to help her, she'd made a decision though, and hopefully, everything would work out and be sorted by the end of the day.

Today was a big day for the New Directions, with sectionals in the morning, they had all arrived early at school to drive down to, and then Rachel and Finn's wedding in the afternoon, which no one seemed to be able to talk them out of. Today was also a big day for Mercedes, she'd told herself that today, she would fix the mess between her Sam, and Shane. It was unfair of her to string either of them on for any longer, and they were both great guys.

"Hey 'Cedes, over here!" Sam called out happily.

Mercedes smiled, and settled in to the seat next to Sam. "Hey, do you want to shout a little bit louder? I don't think they heard you over in New York"

"Ah, New York" Sam grinned, "Good times". Mercedes rolled her eyes; it was a bad decision to bring up New York, because that was the place where they had started their summer fling.

"Alright you" she laughed, patting his hand. "Are you feeling nervous?"

"No, not really.. we've got you back so what's there to be nervous about?" Sam smiled sweetly.

"Well thank you Sam," Mercedes blushed beetroot "I'm not really either, I love performing"

"You were born to do it, you're amazing Mercedes. And I know you're going to lead the New Directions to victory today. I'm excited to see the Trouble Tones number as well"

"Yeah, it's going to be great"

Mercedes couldn't help staring at the tiny red lumps on Sam's neck. They had mostly gone down now, but were still clearly visible. A pang of sadness hit her stomach.

"So what do you think about Finn and Rachel?"

"They're too young, but if they're happy with their relationship, then I'm happy for them. I'm not one to mess in other people's lives"

"So you're going to the wedding then?"

"Yeah, I think the only people who aren't going are Quinn and Kurt"

"Yeah," Sam echoed, "Speaking of relationships-"

"Sam" Mercedes interjected quickly, cutting him off. "I need to say something"

"Okay.." his voice was uncertain.

"Sam, you and me, we were a summer fling. It was fun but the thing is, we didn't have any closure. If we did, then I'm sure neither of us would want a relationship with the other. It's just because you moved away so suddenly, we were pulled away so fast. So this is it, Sam, this is closure. I just want you to know that I liked you a lot, and I still do, but as friends Sam. From now, we're nothing more" It broke Mercedes' heart to say the words but she knew that she had to. She had to end the love triangle which had been going on for far too long. She owed it to Sam to end it. So now he could be free.

After a lot of thinking, Mercedes had finally realised that she was merely attracted to Sam, and she liked him a lot, but she loved Shane. Quinn had said to imagine life without either boy, and, without Sam, it was said, yes, but liveable; life without Shane was unthinkable. But that didn't mean that Mercedes didn't feel a sharp pain in the left side of her chest when she saw the distraught clearly written on Sam's face.

"Mercedes, no" His green eyes were filled with sadness in water form. "You're wrong, I really do care about you. More than just a summer fling, I want us to be together, properly together. At least give us a chance, please"

"Are you sure Sam?" She eyes him questionably, he wasn't thinking straight now, well, he was a boy, she would have to explain everything to him. "If you really loved me, why did you kiss Quinn? Why did you to go up to Santana's room on the night of the party?"

"I knew this was about that." Sam scratched the back of his neck, looking down sadly "Look, 'Cedes, I was trying to make you jealous. It clearly had the wrong effect. We're perfect for each other, we should be together"

"No, that's not what it was about. I promise. You're sweet, Sam, but if we really are perfect for each other then why do things keep getting in the way, huh? Why with Shane, and Quinn?"

"Quinn means nothing to me" Sam blurted out.

Mercedes gasped, "Now Sam, you think about what you just said. Quinn does not mean nothing to you. She was your first love, I know that, because every time her name is mentioned you sit up a tiny bit straighter, your lips always upturn. And, whether you were trying to make me jealous or not, there was a reason why you picked Quinn, wasn't there? You're a good guy Sam, you don't use girls so it's obvious you have feelings for her. And don't you know she likes you too? Why do you think she constantly opens up to you? I saw you two in the hall a little while ago, and I can guess what happened at Santana's party. You nee-"

"But-"

"No, please don't cut in Sam, I need to say this, for both of us, and for Shane. I'm sorry but I love Shane, and we were just a fling. You know it in your heart Sam, you just need to think about it. It'll be easier now. Closure, like I said"

Mercedes paused to take a deep breath, and noticed that tears were falling from her own eyes. She'd known this would have been emotional but never could have expected this. Luckily, everyone seemed to be consumed in their own conversations, music or just generally too groggy in the morning to notice the crying pair sitting in the back of the bus. She felt as though her heart was being ripped in two, and pressed her hand against her eyes, trying to control her emotions. She was upset that whatever she had with Sam was going to be over, although she was also relieved because it meant that the guilt that had been looming over her was diffusing, like smoke in a closed room, but someone had just opened the door.

"Mercedes.." Sam trailed off, clearly unsure of what to say.

"Sam" Mercedes sighed, her shoulders drooping, "I didn't want to say this, but what's happening between you and me, doesn't it seem like what happened between you and Quinn last year, with Finn. How did you feel? I can imagine that's how Shane's feeling, and I don't to hurt him anymore, and I don't want Quinn dragged into this mess either, but she really likes you."

"Just think about it Sam, please. I'm sorry, I really am" she reached out to touch his hand, but he pulled it away and furiously wiped the tears from his face. "Alright, Sam" she whispered, "Last thing, I think you need to be with Quinn. You two are perfect for each other, and you always seem to be drawn back to each other, like you have some kind of gravitational pull. She's beautiful, Sam, but fragile. And I know that you know how to put her back together again, to look after her. Be good to her, please"

"Whatever" Sam sulked, turning away from her, and he spent the rest of the journey staring gloomily out of the window, ignoring Mercedes.

* * *

The New Directions gave a breath-taking performance at Sectionals, beating the other show choirs first place, meaning that they had won a place at Nationals. During the cheers and happiness of celebration, Sam hadn't hesitated to envelop Mercedes into a long embrace, and she was gad, hopeful that he had forgiven her and thought her words through.

The journey back to McKinley High as uneventful, except for Rachel and Finn staring goofily into each other's eyes, clearly excited about their wedding and Santana making light-hearted but snide remarks about them.

The wedding was at four at the Justice of the Peace, meaning that, once they arrived back, Mercedes would have to go straight to the venue, and change into her bright pink bridesmaid's dress there. Although she didn't exactly approve of the wedding, Mercedes was excited after their sectionals win, and nothing could bring down her mood. Even Quinn and Rachel's loud arguing about the wedding or her encounter with Sam earlier.

Mercedes didn't know where she stood with Sam anymore, their hug after they won could have meant nothing, they could have just been caught up in the moment or it could have meant that Sam had forgiven her. She wasn't fond of the cheesy 'we can still be friends', but, with Sam, she truly wanted to be. They had been great friends before their fling, and she hoped that they could be after, it would be a shame to lose their friendship over this.

She glanced over at Sam, who was sitting in front of her on the other side of the bus. She only see the back of his head, which was pointed directly at her, meaning that he was looking out of the window again. Her heart sank, but she caught sight of the glassy reflection of his face and saw that he seemed to be deep in thought. She smiled with newfound hope, perhaps he had come to his senses, and this was definitely an improvement from crying.

* * *

Strong fingers pulled against Mercedes' left arm as she walked off the bus, making her way over to her car.

"Hey" the owner of the hand murmured.

"Hey Sam, what's up?" her tone was light and breezy, but the question was loaded.

Sam smiled "Hey, no need to worry okay, I was just caught off guard this morning. I thought about what you said throughout the competition, and on the bus ride home, and I think you're right."

Mercedes nodded, smiling with relief.

"I still care about you, I really do. But it's probably better this way, you're right. We needed closure and I actually feel a lot better now. But, you'll always be in here, okay?" he pointed to the left side of his chest. "Anyways, about Quinn.. I don't know. I don't want to use her as a sort of rebound."

"Is she a rebound though, Sam? Or is she what you really want? I think you're saying this because you're scared. I know you lost her once but she made a mistake, we all do, look at you and me, I kissed you whilst I was with Shane. Anyways, Finn's getting married today but I don't think that matters, she only has eyes for you"

She could see the cogs in Sam's mind turning as he processed the information, "You're right," he agreed, after a long while "Okay, I guess I'll talk to her after the wedding. At the reception.. if she goes. I hope she doesn't turn me down" Sam grinned and hurried away, a new spring in his step.

"Good luck!" she called out after him, feeling much better than she had in a long time. As all the guilt and worry she had felt in the past weeks had just been lifted. Now, she had to convince Rachel to let Quinn come to the wedding, and Quinn to actually go.

* * *

**A/N: Finally, confrontation scene! any comments, constructive criticism are always welcome? Thanks for reading!**

**I've already written up the next chapter and I'm pretty happy with it.. as my writing goes, so it should be up pretty soon**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hm, so I slaved over this chapter for ages and finally gave up and decided to post it because you guys have been waiting forever. I'm not 100% happy with it but please let me know what you think.**

**As always, thanks for your lovely reviews, it really means a lot to think that people actually like my writing.**

******************************Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters or Glee etc.**

* * *

_Quinn means nothing to me _The words bounced around Quinn's mind, echoing from her brain through the entire core of her body, twisting and turning her insides until she felt sick.

It was amazing just how much people revealed when they thought that others weren't listening. Quinn may have had her headphones on, but there was no iPod connected to the other end. In fact, she had been sitting near Sam purposefully, so she could listen to what Mercedes was saying. As soon as she heard Sam utter the words, she had realized that eavesdropping was a mistake and she had immediately plugged in her iPod and began playing music on full blast so she didn't have to hear anymore.

Now, sitting on the bus mere minutes after the New Directions had won sectionals, Sam's cold words were all she could think about. She couldn't even worry about Rachel, who was getting married in the next hour. Quinn pressed her soft hand into her forehead, feeling pathetic. She couldn't break down now, not in front of everyone, she had to distract herself; and so, Quinn decided to reason with Rachel one last time. "Hey, how are you feeling?" she leaned over to Rachel, who was sitting opposite her, gazing at Finn.

"If you're hoping that I say nervous then I'm sorry, but I've never been more sure of a decision in my life"

"If you're so sure, why can't you wait a few years? Have a real wedding, in a church and with all your friends and family" Quinn snapped back, she wasn't bitter, she didn't even want to be horrible to Rachel, it was strange how their relationship had grown and developed into friendship over three eventful years. Quinn was just upset, and feeling more alone than ever, and she had no idea how to deal with it other than taking it out on Rachel.

"Look, Quinn, I'm not going to let you ruin what is the happiest day of my life so far, okay? We've won sectionals, we're on the way to Nationals and I'm marrying the love of my life, nothing can bring me down"

"Fine" Quinn replied curtly, before hastily shoving her earphones back in and drowning out the world. She bit her lip in an attempt to hold back the tears that were already brimming her green eyes. Whether or not she agreed with Rachel and Finn's decision, at least they had each other. Of course, Quinn didn't want Finn, it wasn't him specifically that she was upset about. She just wanted someone to love her.. wasn't she meant to be the popular girl?

All around her, people were making plans for their futures, Rachel and Kurt going to New York, Mercedes making a career in music for herself, even Puck had his pool cleaning business. Sure, Quinn was going to Yale, but she was still stuck in the same hole as she was last year, ever since Nationals, or before that, when Finn dumped her, though actually it was even deeper in her past. Finn had never truly loved Quinn, he just thought he did because they ended so abruptly, and it had torn her away from the best thing that had ever happened to her at McKinley, besides Beth.

* * *

Sitting in bed, Quinn was pretending to her book. Though she had been on the same page for the past half an hour and, although she kept reading the same monotonous line over and over, nothing seemed to be going in.

She sighed, throwing the paperback on to the plush, cream carpet. It landed with the slightest of thuds. Who was she pretending for anyways? Her mother? Of course not, she was out, or herself? Why was Quinn so zombie-like nowadays? Shouldn't she be happy, that she's finally escaping Lima? What did it matter what Sam thought of her? There were only a few short weeks left before she could let go and move on for good.

The blonde was feeling pathetic and alone, they had just come back from another sectionals win and yet she was sitting alone in her room in deathly silence. She should be out with her friends, celebrating and possibly drinking a little too much. Instead, they were all at Rachel and Finn's wedding whilst she, who was far too stubborn in her beliefs had been uninvited.

Quinn's phone bleeped out a piercing crescendo.

She closed her eyes wearily, rubbing the delicate lids with her fingers. The smartphone lying on her bedside table had been ringing incessantly for the past hour.

Quinn twisted her lips in thought for half a minute, before grabbing the phone. Perhaps someone cared.

_Inbox – 5 new messages _the bright screen blared at her.

Mercedes [14:03] – Hey Quinn, you ran off the bus pretty fast after we got back. Are you okay? We should talk, are you going to the wedding?

Rachel [14:30] – Quinn, I know you probably won't change your mind but I really would love it if you could come to the wedding. I would have loved to see you in a bridesmaid's dress.

Santana [14:56] – The color pink and I have been in an argument for several years and now I have to make up with it for Berry? Come save me.

Mercedes [15:16] – Q?

Rachel [15:17] – If you change your mind, the wedding's starting at 4.

Quinn glanced at her vintage themed wall clock. It was 3:37; the Justice of the Peace was just down the road, everything in Lima was close by and if she left soon, she'd be able to make it.

Pursing her lips, Quinn hesitantly tapped the screen of her phone, pulling up Rachel's contact page.

The little green button with a white phone in it was just a tap away.. but did she dare? She'd been thinking, and, shouldn't she just be happy for her friend?

Before she could change her mind, Quinn tapped the screen and brought the phone up to her ear.

"Hello?" came Rachel's voice, slightly hesitantly.

"Hi" Quinn replied slowly. She could hear whispers of 'who is it?' and, 'Is that Q' in the background.

"What do you want Quinn?"

"I just- Rachel, when you were singing today, it was for Finn, wasn't it? Finn and only Finn"

"Yes, I love him so much, I hope you can see that"

"I could tell."

"So will you come to the wedding? There's still time.. we'll wait for you"

"I'm not saying it's the right thing to do, and I still think you should wait a few years but yes, I'll co-"

"Yay!" a piercing cry echoed through the speaker in the top of her phone.

"Ouch, Rachel" Quinn laughed, shaking her head. It would be good for her to go anyways, it would distract from her sitting alone and hating herself.

There was no reply on the other side, "Rachel? ..Rachel, are you still there?"

Faintly, Quinn could hear a slight commotion in the background, there were screams behind but she couldn't make out anything clear until Kurt's voice rang out "It's unlucky for the bride and groom to see each other before the wedding!" he shouted. Quinn exhaled, of course Kurt was there, he was Finn's brother and one of Rachel's best friends, even if he didn't agree with it, he was there for support, and she should be too.

"I don't think we could have anymore bad luck Kurt" Rachel replied, and Quinn could practically hear the joy in her voice. There were sounds of shuffling and a door slamming then a "Sorry Quinn, I'm here" came more clearly.

"O-okay" Quinn half laughed, "I'll be there soon, just let me get changed and put some make up on"

"Quinn, one last thing!"

"Yeah?"

"Will you be a bridesmaid? I actually had them make you up a dress already, in the hope that you'd change your mind. I guessed your size. Just put on something pretty and you can change if you have time, if not, just wear pink"

"Sure, I'll see you all in a bit, don't start without me!"

"We won't! Hurry!"

Hastily, Quinn applied her usual make up, a touch of foundation, concealer, eyeliner and mascara. She even added a light shade of pink eye shadow, eye catching but still tasteful to her lids to match what she could only hope would not be a ghastly bridesmaids dress. Then she fluffed up her hair in the mirror. It was now slightly longer than shoulder length. She took a moment to look at herself in the mirror, barely recognizing herself.

She shook her head, this was not the time to hate herself, she was in a rush. Quickly, Quinn pulled open her wardrobe, finding an array of dresses, Quinn's fashion sense had always been rather wholesome, and so, she had a lot to choose from. Pulling out a strapless salmon pink dress which bulged slightly at the hips, Quinn nodded. It would do, besides, if she arrived soon enough, she could change into a bridesmaids dress where she wouldn't stand out as much.

Packing her phone, lip gloss and some money in a black clutch and scrawling a note for her mother, Quinn was ready to go.

She hurried to her car, getting in and turning the ignition. It was practically moving before she'd gotten in.

_Seatbelt, Quinn_ she told herself, she may be in a hurry but safety definitely came first.

A sharp crescendo sound pervaded from her bag.

Ignoring it, Quinn pulled out of her driveway and onto the main road. She turned right and sped towards the justice of the peace.

Quinn came to a long line of unmoving traffic. She sighed, eyes widening with worry. As she pulled her car into break, Quinn seized her phone, since they weren't moving, she wouldn't get hurt for being distracted.

Sam [15:49] – Q! I hear you're coming to the wedding!

Rachel [15:54] – where are you?

Rolling her eyes, Quinn threw the phone onto the passenger seat. It would be safer if she didn't reply to Rachel, and, what did Sam want, to mess with her again? To use her, the way he had at the party? Of course he had only kissed her to make Mercedes jealous, no one loved Quinn. A loud honk from a jeep behind her made Quinn jump, she glanced upwards to find that the light had turned green and there was a large, open space in front of her car. _Concentrate, Q! _If she wanted to get there on time, she'd have to focus on the roads, though it wasn't looking likely with the state of the traffic.

_Bleep, bleep._

Quinn pulled forwards about 50 metres, approaching the front of the four way crossing just as the light turned from amber to red. Cursing, she stopped again, figuring it would be better to wait a couple of minutes rather than risk running through a red light.

She leaned over and grabbed her phone which had somehow bounced off the passenger seat and onto the floor underneath.

Tapping the screen, she revealed 2 new messages.

Rachel [15:58] – Quinn!

Rachel [15:59] – where are you? We're supposed to start in a minute!

Quinn was about to put the phone back on the passenger seat when it bleeped once more.

Rachel [16:02} – Hurry up!

Quinn quickly tapped a reply, just to calm Rachel down. She could imagine the diva turning into bridezilla and would have chuckled slightly if she wasn't so stressed.

Quinn [16:02] – on my way

There was another sharp honking behind her, and, without thinking, Quinn dropped the phone and immediately pulled her car into drive, stepping on the accelerator pedal.

But she didn't notice the lorry driver who was laughing on his phone rather than paying attention to the roads.

There was a sharp squeal of metal, the sound of futile breaks, rubber tires creating friction on the ground.

Then Quinn's world went dark.

* * *

**A/N: I'm cruel, I know.. just as they were possibly about to get together**

**any comments, constructive criticism are always welcome? Thanks for reading!**


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